Surprise plea change in double-murder trial

KNYSNA NEWS - At the Knysna Circuit Court a surprising turnabout happened on day four of the trial of two people accused of the murders of an elderly couple in Hunters Home a year ago, when the male accused changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on all charges.

Sandiswa Bibini and Thulani Vambayo, who were 30 and 36 respectively when they were arrested, are on trial for the murders of Brian Davis (67) and his wife Christine Anne Davis (64) during a robbery at their home in Lindsay Street on August 1, 2015.

Bibini and Vambayo, who are married, both pleaded not guilty on Monday, August 15, but today, Thursday August 18, Vambayo changed his plea to guilty after his lawyer read out to the court a graphic account of the murder of the couple on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Vambayo pleaded guilty to both murders and robbery charges.

This followed a dramatic scene on Wednesday, when Vambayo fell onto the floor in tears when he saw a video introduced as evidence.

Vambayo’s lawyer, advocate G Williams from George, read a detailed and gruesome statement made by his client, which described how he murdered the couple.

“Two weeks before the incident Mr Davis had agreed to lend me R5 000, but on the actual day he changed his mind, which led to a very heated argument. Before I knew it I hit him on the side of the head; he staggered while walking and I hit him again.”

The accused’s statement read that Davis then fell to the floor and was bleeding, by which time Vambayo realised that he had gone too far. According to the statement, Vambayo saw Mrs Davis approaching the scene and assumed that she was going to get a firearm, and he then went after her.

“I hit her with a hammer on the forehead. She fell down and I hit her a couple of times,” said Vambayo in his statement.

He said he then went outside, came back and realised that she was still alive, which is when he took a knife and slit her throat.

More to follow as the trial continues.